Why A Mask?
by Emily 'Gadget' Robins
Summary: Gadget mask-naps Ghost's balaclava and runs off with it. In the process of getting it back, Ghost ends up admitting some things he never thought he'd tell Gadget, or anyone else, about. Rated for the fact that its COD. Inspired by Alive For The First Time


Four soldiers were seated around a green felt poker table, all eyes fastened to their own hand of cards. The bets had been made and now it was time to show what they had.

"Three aces." Two cards with the pips facing up landed on the table. An ace was already facing up; therefore it was a three of a kind.

Archer threw down his own cards, a pair of kings. "Screw this! When I play with you two, I never win."

"Ditto," Toad agreed. He'd folded the moment the first ace came face up. "I just give up as soon as I can."

"All right, let's see it." Ghost leaned back in his chair, folding his hands behind his head. "Let's see just how bad I trumped all of you."

Three sets of eyes turned to the only woman at the table, Gadget. She sighed, tossing her cards on the table. "Royal Flush…" She muttered in a depressed tone, a smile trying to fight its way onto her lips.

The tipped chair Ghost was in fell backwards and Archer threw his hands in the air. "That's it! I'm done playing this game with you two! Every time I play, it's always the same ending!"

The brunette laughed as she collected her winnings. "It's just a game of luck, maybe you'll get it next time."

"Yeah right," Toad scoffed. "I'm going to go get some actual work done. See you two money sharks later."

Ghost, who was still on the floor, appeared to be in shock. "I can't believe it."

"'Course you can't." Gadget grinned, stacking the cards and looking down at him. "You hit your head?"

"No. My pride has been shattered." A short pause, "Are you psycic or something?"

"I'm just magical."

"You're what?"

"Magical." She waved her hands in the air. "I'm just… magical."

After a moment of sheer silence Ghost burst into such loud bouts of laughter that his shoulders shook. "Bloody magical, now that's a good one."

"Ah, shut it," She returned the laugh. "You're just jealous."

"Am I?"

"You bet?"

Propping himself up on his elbows he looked at her, raising an eyebrow in question. "I'm far more magical than you are."

"Only with your mask on," Gadget pointed out, holding a hand out to help him off of the floor.

Ghost reached for her hand, saying, "You know I could—GET BACK HERE!"

Gadget laughed hysterically, tearing off out of the rec room into the corridor. She'd reached right past Ghost's extended hand and grabbed the bottom of his mask. Before his mind could've registered the move, she'd taken off with the balaclava, leaving him with only a pair of sunglasses.

Swearing under his breath, he ran after her. Where she'd gone, he hadn't a clue. All he did know was that he had to get his mask back. Luckily for him, there weren't many people in the hallways at this time of day, and those who were had never seen him without a mask, and therefore left him alone.

There was only one thing on his mind as he entered the kitchen, and it was the brunette leaning on the counter with one hand behind her back and an innocent (cough) smile on her face. "What are you so flustered about Ghost?"

"Give it back." He growled, already next to her with his hand out.

She giggled and backed away from him, hand still behind her back. "No."

"It isn't funny Gadget, give it—"

"Nooooo," A few more steps away and she'd be next to the window.

"I'm serious just give me my—"

"HAVE TO CATCH ME FIRST!" She yelled, diving out the open window and sprinting towards the barracks.

Groaning and launching out after her was all he could really do at that point. Gadget was always pulling stuff like this, making off with Meat's DVDs, hiding Toad's favorite pocketknife, even burying the captain's favorite gun in its airtight case and when he asked about it she'd just handed him a map and walked away. She didn't do it to spite them; it was always in good fun. When things got to serious or heartbreaking, Gadget would brighten things up for everyone.

Apparently Ghost needed some brightening because he was running all over camp to try and catch up with her.

After scouring the whole place down building by building he found her reclining in the den area, watching the news. "Took you long enough," She teased, sitting up.

"Just tell me where my bloody mask is." He laughed plopping in the seat next to her.

"No."

"C'mon, Gadget, just give it here."

She shook her head, sticking her tounge out. "No."

"You sound like you're five."

"_**You **_sound like _**you're**_ five."

Sighing Ghost thought of a few ways to get his mask back. One in particular just made him wish he had his mask back on to hide a slight blush that came to his cheeks as he thought of it.

'No,' he told himself. 'It's a ridiculous plan. It would just complicate things further.' He glanced at her. Gadget was pretending to be interested in a news report, surpressing a smile. She was always proud when she managed to get some kind of emotional reaction to her teasings towards her XO.

Ghost looked away, willing away the slight blush as he tried even harder to talk himself out of going through with his plan to get his mask back. He quickly ran out of reasons why not to, seeing as there weren't that many.

Slowly he moved closer to her, holding his breath. 'This is so stupid!' Ghost's concious screamed at him. 'No more connections, remember? No more mistakes like before.' But a calmer, more prominent self simply said, 'Don't think…'

Slowly running a finger beneath her chin, Ghost turned Gadget's face until she was looking straight at him. Thinking one final 'I shouldn't be doing this,' he closed the space between them, gently pressing his lips against hers. Ghost kept his eyes open for only a moment to gauge her reaction, and when he saw the surprise in her eyes he wondered if he should pull away. 'Ah screw it, I already started.'

While her mind was otherwise occupied, Ghost slipped his balaclava away from Gadget, not breaking off the kiss quite yet. It was quite nice in his opinion, nothing major just a simple kiss with no sloppy disgustingness or spit swapping. When he finally got his senses back and pulled away, she was flushed a bright red hue in the cheeks.

After a moment of awkward stares, Gadget managed to stammer, "Wh-what was that for?"

He shrugged, leaning back into the sofa cushions. It'd been a long time since he'd kissed anyone so he was feeling a little light headed. "Just been long over due I guess."

They sat in silence for another moment, mulling what had just passed between them over.

"Was it just to get your mask back?"

This took Ghost a moment to answer. A part of him was telling him to lie and tell her that he didn't want to kiss her at all. But he knew he could never really do that, to her or to himself. "No, it wasn't just for the mask." He studied the thing in his hands carefully. The skull pattern was wearing away ever so slightly at the edges and some portions of it had been sewed up by hand to keep it from falling apart.

He traced the outline of the skull, considering telling her all the reasons why he wore it…why he hid behind it.

"Talk to me Ghost." She whispered, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Tell me…"

Words were gathering behind his throat as Ghost struggled to think of where to start. Looking at Gadget's serene face helped. Calm eyes outlined by lightly scarred skin looked back at him, begging for answers. He could still almost feel her slightly chapped lips against his own.

Suddenly it was all eaisier. He walked her through his years in the SAS, of the torture, the betrayal, the false death, the new identity, and she sat right next to him. He needed her there, and so that's were she was. As a source of calm serenity ahe listened, never questioning his reasons or motives to what he did in captivity or why he faked his own death. Her eyes gave away no emotion, shrouded with a kind of unmovable cloud. When he reached the day she joined she stopped him.

"I know the rest," She moved hesitantly, placing a hand on his cheek and gazing right into his eyes. "Why do you hide it all?"

He knew exactly what she was looking at. Long, deep scars. Eyes that would always carry a burden. Deep purple circles beneath his eyes from lack of sleep. Recent bruises and cuts. A flat, expressionless mouth. To him his face would never change. Every time he saw it he would see the same face that had stared back at him during his imprisonment.

"When _Roba_ had me locked up there was this tiny room they'd lock me in." The name of his ex-captor came out of his mouth with an acidic hiss of anger. "Mirrors lined every inch of the place. Everywhere I looked I saw my own face from every angle. _**Everywhere.**_" He rested his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands. "I couldn't see anything but myself. I was so scarred by then it was like a nightmare. I'd spend weeks in there, between tortures." He rubbed his temples. "It was horrifying, nearly as bad as when they'd drug me."

A gentle hand rested on his back. "When you see your reflection, it brings it all back doesn't it?"

Ghost nodded, his face still covered. "For a while I just avoided looking in the mirror. Next thing I knew every window, puddle, patch of ice, polished boot, everything with a slightly reflective surface had it all coming back. The mask got rid of the risk." He looked up at the now blank screened TV, gazing at his reflection. Dirty blond wisps of hair fell around his face and tears of shame and horror were collecting in his misty blue eyes. The scars seemed to scream out the stories of how he got them. The bags beneath his eyes reminded him of all the lost sleep. A blank expression even when he was in pain reflected his intense training.

His eyes suddenly switched from his own reflection to Gadget's. She was sitting with one arm reached out to rest an open palm on her back and the other elbow was resting across her knees. Her eyes were trained on the TV as well, though her face was turned slightly towards his. Her short brown bangs hung in her face, obstructing his view of the right side of her face. Her exposed arms were surprisingly muscular, though they were sinewy and think compared to his own massive guns. He tore his eyes away from the screen, looking at her straight on again.

She did the same, their eyes locking. He leaned in again, sharing another gentle kiss with her before hugging her close and whispering a soft, "Thank you."

Gadget returned the hug, "Don't think anything of it."

"It's past lights out." He grinned. "I should report you."

She swore softly, knowing that if Shepherd caught her out and about she'd be on stall duty for weeks on end. Jumping to her feet, Gadget rushed towards the door, yelling "G'night Ghost," over her shoulder as she went.

He sat back, relief washing through him as a massive weight was taken off his shoulders. Talking things out with Gadget and giving her the whole story was a great relief. He glanced at his reflection, just to see if the feeling was gone. Shuddering when he discovered that the terror still lingered he pulled the balaclava on and reached for his pocket where he'd tucked his sunglasses…his fingers coming back empty. Searching his other pockets, Ghost discovered that he no longer had his…GADGET!

The lietenant leapt up, charging down the hallways towards Gadget's room in the barracks.

She'd gotten away with both his mask AND his sunglasses just that day.

He'd get her back for this.

**TA DAAAA**

**Wow, that was completely caffeine generated. **

**And fluffly…**

**Definitely fluffly…**

**I DEMAND A REVIEW FROM EVERYONE WHO HAS THE TIME!**

**Seriously 'A Penny For Your Thoughts' has had 100 visitors since I posted it. 5 reviews…5!**

**Ao please, if you want my big project to come out ASAP and actually be good I NEED reviews to improve. They don't even have to be long. Just like a smiley face or something will be just fine.**

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**OTHER STUFFS TO READ:**

**A Penny for Your Thoughts by me (Archer/Gadget by request)**

**Where It All Begins by me (Gadget's First Mission)**

**And The Ghost That Haunted Me by ecto1b**

**There are others, but I'm in a rush right now.**

**PLEASE REVIEW **


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